Building confidence in your kid is one of your most important duties as a parent…

To have a happy self-confident person, it is important to start as young as possible!

As you know, it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, meaning that building confidence in your kid is critical facing life’s realities as he/she grows up. The school and workplace are fierce and competitive environments. Not all the people they’ll meet are as sweet and kind as their families. And there are dangers everywhere.

Your child’s best defense against all these is a healthy and positive self-esteem and high self-confidence. Kids who recognize their strengths and weaknesses find it easier to feel good about themselves, handle stress and conflicts, and thrive even in a competitive place. Overall, these children grow up to be realistic and optimistic adults, ready to take on the world.

On the other hand, those with low self-esteem are easily stressed and frustrated with problems. Because they think they are “not good enough,” they don’t go out of their way to find solutions to these problems. As a result, they become depressed, withdrawn and passive. Don’t let your kid be like one.

Don’t worry. Building confidence in children isn’t that difficult. There are many building confidence exercises and self-esteem activities for kids that you can use to raise your own with a positive self-concept.

Start with these effective strategies for building confidence in kids…

• Love unconditionally. It’s true that only a parent can give unconditional love, the kind that says, “I love and accept you for who you are no matter who that is.” This makes a child feel secure, that even with his faults and failures, you’ll love him no matter what.
• Show your love and affection. Children who receive plenty of kisses, hugs, and I love you’s grow up to be more secure.
• Don’t scrimp on the compliments. When you child does something nice, be sure to applaud him for that. Don’t be afraid that you might spoil him by appreciating the good things that he does. Of course, you don’t have to be on standing ovation for every little deed that he does. But for his more important achievements, be there to offer a praise.
• Correct the behavior, not the person. When your child’s behavior needs correction, don’t hesitate to speak up. But do it so in a manner that rejects the behavior and not your child. Instead of saying, “You’re a bad boy” it would be better to say, “Don’t hurt your friend. That’s not nice.”
• Give your child enough attention. Undivided attention can be difficult in today’s society plagued by work overload and technological advancements. But instead of hugging your child while you surf the internet, shut everything off and give your child your full attention. Doing so makes him feel that he’s important.
• Don’t shut him off from the world. Just because you know it’s a dangerous world out there, it doesn’t mean it would be best for him to stay locked up inside the house all the time. Let him go out and experience what is out there (of course, with close supervision). Let him take healthy risks like riding a bike, meeting a new friend, trying a new sport and so on. Let him learn from his mistakes. Let your child experiment but within reason.
• Avoid comparing your child to others. This is especially true if you have several children. Don’t compare your firstborn with your youngest or your middle child with his older sister. That would only make the child feel about himself.

These building confidence tips would surely teach you how to raise your child in a healthy and positive way so that he grows up to be a self-assured adult.